Job Description
About the Maternal Syphilis team
One of the Evidence Action’s newest initiatives is the Maternal Syphilis Screening and Treatment Program in which we partner with Ministries of Health (MoH) to increase syphilis screening and treatment among pregnant women in an effort to prevent mother-to-child transmission of syphilis. Without effective and timely treatment, syphilis infections in pregnancy carry a significant risk of stillbirth, neonatal death, and cognitive and physical disability. Across the globe, syphilis infection in pregnancy leads to over 200,000 stillbirths and neonatal deaths – more than is attributed to mother-to-child transmission of HIV – and over 100,000 instances of disability in newborns. Our aim is to close syphilis screening gaps via introduction of HIV/syphilis dual testing and to close treatment gaps by implementing strategies to address context-specific treatment barriers for women who test positive for syphilis. We launched our maternal syphilis program in Liberia in 2020 and are now expanding the program to Cameroon.
In Cameroon, a country with one of the highest prevalence rates of maternal syphilis in Sub-Saharan Africa, twice as many pregnant women get tested for HIV as get tested for syphilis during antenatal care. Our ambitious program aims to support the government to adopt the HIV/syphilis dual test into policy, scale it nationwide across all ANC facilities, and close any gaps in syphilis treatment, thereby enabling pregnant women to finally get the care they need.
We are seeking a part time Consultant, Health Policy Specialist to work on behalf of Evidence Action to support the Cameroon Ministry of Health, namely the National AIDS Control Committee, in the adoption of the HIV/syphilis dual test into national policy.
Candidates must have prior experience working in developing countries and preference will be given to citizens or permanent residents of Cameroon. Candidates must also be fluent in English and French
Key Responsibilities:
1. Policy Adoption of the HIV/Syphilis Dual Test
- Support the Ministry of Health, specifically NACC, to review protocols, develop trainings materials, conduct trainings, and identify any other areas of support as needed related to the three-test HIV algorithm operational study, with a particular emphasis on the HIV/syphilis dual test and syphilis treatment;
- Support the Ministry of Health to assess any gaps in facility-level data recording and reporting tools on syphilis indicators in preparation for the three-test HIV algorithm operational study and subsequent policy adoption;
- Support the Ministry of Health, specifically NACC, to draft a normative policy covering the integration of the HIV/syphilis dual test into antenatal care settings and into the HIV testing algorithm;
- Support the Ministry of Health, specifically NACC, DLMEP, and FHD, to draft an operational guide for the dissemination and implementation of the HIV/syphilis dual test normative policy;
- Collaborate with key stakeholders and other partners to develop strategies for policy adoption of a dual HIV/Syphilis testing policy;
2. Supply Chain
- Collaborate with the MoH and other partners to develop strategies to identify solutions to addressing the challenge of fee-based syphilis treatment;
- Support NACC with inputs to the Global Fund application for procurement, if needed.
3. Coordination
- Represent Evidence Action at any meetings or workshops in Cameroon related to HIV and syphilis prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs;
- Arrange logistics ahead of any in-country visits by Evidence Action program staff
- Organize any workshops deemed critical to the adoption of the HIV/syphilis dual test into national policy;
- Communicate project progress effectively to internal stakeholders;
Additional areas of work may be defined as activities proceed. Any expansion to the agreed upon scope of work will be negotiated in writing and agreed upon by both parties (Evidence Action and the Consultant)..
Job Requirements
- 5+ years of relevant professional experience in demanding and results-driven environments, such as management consulting or a fast-paced international NGO;
- Oral and written fluency in English and French;
- Demonstrated experience working in the Cameroonian health sector, with a preference for experience in the area of HIV;
- Demonstrated experience working directly with government and non-governmental stakeholders, preferably on health policy adoption;
- Must be based in Cameroon with the ability to travel to different parts of the country as needed.
- Ability to work effectively in a remote environment, with a direct supervisor based in another geography;